1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates generally to teleconference systems and, more particularly, to a method and system that allows teleconference participants to communicate directly with a meeting speaker without a meeting operator.
2. Description of Related Art
Teleconference systems bring multiple parties together from remote locations. Ideally, teleconference systems allow participants to communicate with each other as if they were seated in the same room. A teleconference system typically includes at least two stations (e.g., mobile telephone, landline telephone, etc.) set up in remote locations interconnected by a transmission system, such as a global network or a telephone system.
During a teleconference, a participant may wish to communicate with the meeting speaker directly without being overheard by other participants. Currently, this is done by entering a key sequence on a touch-tone phone and speaking with a meeting operator, who is then responsible for relaying the message to the meeting speaker. This method requires a dedicated operator to manage these requests during the conference call.
Utilizing a dedicated operator increases costs associated with teleconferencing. Furthermore, an operator is not obligated to keep communications between a participant and a meeting speaker private. Therefore, it is desirable to remove the meeting operator dependency, but still have the ability to communicate discretely with the meeting speaker during a teleconference.